The Flivvers, unbeaten in dual meets this season, tallied 47 points to repeat as champions. Shanks said the tourney seeding set the tone.

"It started off with the seed meeting and getting everything we wanted. That gives you a pretty good chance of going to the finals," said Shanks, noting the eight No. 1 seeds would face at best the fourth seeds in the next round. "We had one little scare in the second round but we put everybody into the finals.

"If the draw were different and we didn't come through in a few of those matches, that would have tightened it up quite a bit."

Escanaba, 31, which thwarted a Flivver sweep with the No. 3 doubles crown, claimed second place over Marquette, 28. Menominee, 24; Gladstone, 22, and West Iron County, 17, rounded out the tourney field.

"Kingsford lived up to being the favorite," Escanaba Coach Denny Lueneberg said. "They've had a nice season and they deserve it. They put in the time through the years.

"This was the spot we were in two years ago when we had a lot of seniors."

Eight seniors dot the Flivver starting lineup including No. 1 singles champ Hannah Tresedder. She grabbed the first set over Marquette's Madalyne Connon, lost the second set on a tiebreaker after building a big lead and came back in the third.

"It was a little frustrating," said Tresedder, who held a 5-2 lead in the second set and dropped the tiebreaker 8-6. "But I just told myself to calm down, take a breath and get in the third set.

"I just had to slow down and concentrate a little more."

Tresedder, who snared the GNC No. 2 singles title last year, encountered a much improved Connon from earlier in the season. The Marquette junior played a lengthy semifinal before meeting Tresedder.

"I was just trying to play out points and when I had the chance to put it away," Tresedder said. "I would come to the net, stay with her and try to wear her out. But she did really good job. I give her credit."

Tresedder was happiest with the Flivvers' team trophy.

"It feels really awesome," she said.

"I'm proud of my teammates."

Shanks said Tresedder "has been playing great tennis."

"I'm happy that she's being aggressive with her shots," Shanks said. "She's really trying to be a shot maker. She's not sitting back and being satisfied with just getting it in. She's patient, waiting for the opportunity and driving the ball."

"People are saying tennis is down right now," Shanks said. "But consistently through the lineup we've got stronger doubles. Almost everybody has stronger doubles than there has been for a long time. That says something for U.P. tennis."

Escanaba emerged with the No. 3 doubles title, two runners-up and two thirds.

"I've seen steady progress from my girls," Lueneberg said. "They compete hard. I saw a lot of good things and a lot of things we still need to work on.

"I'm encouraged by the progress. They don't have the experience of past years but that's part of high school tennis."

Escanaba No. 1 singles Johanna Snowden played three matches and eight hours of tennis Wednesday. She wound up third.

"She's playing like it really means something," Lueneberg said. "I've always been happy with the way these girls compete.

"It's just getting them to another level where they can dedicate themselves a little more so they can compete at a higher level."

Kingsford hosts the U.P. Division 1 tournament next Wednesday. The Flivvers will be up against Mid-Peninsula Conference champion Negaunee.